


Meet Me In The Woods

by cabinet_man



Category: Homestuck, Vast Error
Genre: Also more to be added, Humanstuck, Implied/Referenced Child Abuse, Monster Hunters, Multi, Vampires, Werewolves, both characters and relationships, i wanna say that this is a slowburn but even im not sure if itll end up being one or not
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2020-08-18
Updated: 2020-08-18
Packaged: 2021-03-06 05:34:40
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,736
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25928221
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/cabinet_man/pseuds/cabinet_man
Summary: You left home a long time ago to get away from your father. But now that you're certain he's disowned you, there's no going back. At age 18, you're not exactly sure what to do with yourself.That's when they walked into the pub.
Relationships: Dismas Mersiv/Murrit Turkin, Laivan Ferroo/Serpaz Helilo
Comments: 2
Kudos: 33





	Meet Me In The Woods

**Author's Note:**

> this was heavily inspired by the monster hunter au that irrradiated created a while back. i did make some changes regarding the characters' species, but that's really it
> 
> oh, and also dismas is apparently the son of a wealthy businessman. or maybe a government official. either way, his dad's a rich asshole. not much else to say there

It’s raining hard outside.

That’s the first thing you notice as you rouse from your slumber. You don’t remember falling asleep, and your face feels sticky as you lift your head up from the table.

The pub is a lot emptier- you notice this instantly as you look around the place. You’re not really sure how long you’ve been asleep for, but based on how dark it is outside, you can only assume that it’s been hours. You arrived just before sunset. It looks like it’s nearing midnight now.

You kind of wonder why nobody bothered to wake you up earlier, even to at least ask if you would be renting a room in the back. You definitely wouldn’t be allowed to stay here all night without paying something, which is exactly what you don’t have. You skipped town months ago. It was completely on a whim, after you and your father got into another spat and he decided to raise a hand to you. The bastard probably isn’t even bothered by your disappearance. To him, you were nothing but a liability.

It’s not like you care either, though. The thought certainly wasn’t new- in fact, you had been contemplating the pros of running away for years now. You just hadn’t gotten the balls to do it until recently.

Nevertheless, leaving on impulse certainly had its downsides. For one, you had no money, and most of the food and drink you got came from either generous townsfolk or you offering to work. The guy who ran this rundown shithole was decent enough to at least let you have the stale bread he was going to throw out free of charge, so you guess you could understand why he let you snooze at the booth you chose earlier.

At first you assumed that your father had actually put out posters regarding your disappearance, but that’s probably giving him too much credit. He may be a powerful influence over in Repiton, but you know him far better than that. He’ll come up with a fake story of how you heroically gave your life to save him from whatever the hell kind of monster he could think of. He probably thinks you’re dead, and you wouldn’t be surprised if he found comfort in that.

You really aren’t sure what to do with yourself now. The surname Mersiv is enough to cause a scene, so you obviously can’t use it anymore. Being returned to your father will cause him embarrassment and in turn cause you to be hurt far more than you already were before you left. You’ll have to throw it out and come up with a new name at some point. Not that you’re complaining, of course. You didn’t really want to hold the name “Mersiv” anyhow.

You should consider asking the pub owner if he can put you up for the night, though. You’re not sure when you’ll find another inn or pub, and you would prefer to wait until morning to start back up on your travels. Nighttime and heavy rain don’t ever mix well.

Before you can stand, though, the bell on the door rings loudly and two cloaked figures enter the pub. You stare out the window, although you’re keeping an eye on them to make sure they aren’t here to cause any trouble. You have your twin daggers on you, so you’ll step in if things start to turn more violent.

“What can I do for you two?” The owner asks them, polishing the surface of the bar table as the two strangers lower their hoods.

The scruffier one slams a hand on table, but it doesn’t sound right. Upon closer inspection, you can see the faint glint of a knife.

“Put us up for the night,” he all but growls out. The other man, who is a good bit shorter than his partner, grabs said partner’s wrist and forces him to pull the knife out from the polished wood.

“He’s had a very bad night,” he says, his voice coming out very winded. Interesting. “We don’t mean any trouble- we just want- a room.” He reaches into his pocket to grab something, then his chest puffs out and he seems in much better shape than he was only seconds ago. You can hear the sound of coins being dropped onto the counter.

“Sure thing,” the owner grumbles, eyeing the two before he leans down to open a drawer. You can hear the jingle of keys, and then you watch as he hands one over.

“You’re in room three.” He drops the key into the open palm of the shorter one. He gives a friendly grin.

“Thank you- c’mon, Arcjec.”

“Hold on a sec, Lai. I need a fucking drink.”

“Fine. But don’t overdo it we have a- lot to do tomorrow.”

While “Arcjec” (you think that’s what his name was?) is waiting for his drink, the other man casually strolls over to where you’re sitting.

“You look pretty tense,” he says, and it takes a minute for you to realize that he’s talking to you.

“Oh,” you reply, turning your head to get a better look at the guy. He looks kind of... dog-ish. “Well, yeah, you guys did look pretty shady walking in.”

He grins. His canines are sharp. “It’s raining- and also cold out- Arcjec might be kind of rude but- he wouldn’t actually hurt anyone.”

He takes a moment to catch his breath, and you let him.

“So- what’s your story?” He asks you. You quirk a brow at him.

“I don’t disclose that information to strangers.”

“My name’s Laivan- Arcjec and I just got a new job- we’re traveling from Repiton,” he suddenly blurts. So they’re from the capital too. You make sure to mentally jot that down for future reference.

“Dismas,” you tell him, holding out a hand. He takes it, shaking firmly. He then tugs at his suspenders. “You two peddlers or something?”

He seems to panic a little at your question. “No! No- we don’t sell anything illegal- we’re hunters.”

“Hunters,” you echo. “You guys sure as hell don’t look like it.”

“Well not usual hunters, no- we don’t hunt deer or rabbits or whatever- we actually hunt things that- are much larger,” he explains. “Much more dangerous.”

Now that catches your interest. “Like wolves?”

“ _ Were _ wolves, actually,” he replies with a grin.

“Bullshit,” you call.

“As if you’d fucking know anything about what we do.”

The new voice instantly grabs your attention. It’s gruff and kind of gravelly- definitely suiting the man who uses it. Arcjec looks more like a werewolf hunter than his partner does.

He slides onto the bench opposite of you, and motions for Laivan to sit down beside him.

“So,” Arcjec says, leaning forward. You’re acutely aware of the scent of alcohol that’s coming off of him. “Is there a particular reason why you don’t believe us?”

“You’re expecting me to believe that you two hunt werewolves,” you answer bluntly. “There haven’t been any sightings for years.”

He scoffs. “Well obviously there haven’t been any sightings. What, you really think werewolves are stupid enough to go anywhere  _ near  _ the capital? They’re not braindead.”

Laivan nods. “Besides, we don’t _ just  _ hunt werewolves- we hunt other monsters too. We’d be kind of out of a business if- we only specialized in one creature.”

“We got a special mission this time around,” Arcjec jumps in. “Kerian Manor. Supposedly some poor old broad had a run-in with a couple of vampires out there recently. We were hired to exterminate them for fifteen grand.”

“Who hired you?” Something didn’t quite feel right to you. Maybe the bastard knew you weren’t dead and sent these two after you in order to bring you back home. You wouldn’t be surprised.

“Our clients are strictly fucking confidential,” Arcjec snaps. You blink in surprise as Laivan tugs him back down onto the seat.

“You don’t have to get so- defensive,” Laivan says to him. “It was just a question.”

His attention turns back to you while you watch Arcjec practically bristle. “A private company paid us- to remove the threat. Not really much else- to say there.”

Arcjec takes a drink from his mug as you make eye contact with Laivan.

“How old are you guys anyways?” You decide to ask them. They don’t look much older than you, so surely they haven’t been doing things like this for long.

Laivan slings an arm around Arcjec, pulling the scruffier man closer to him. “We’re both 18,” he answers. “We practically- grew up together.”

So they’re the same age as you are, then. That’s good to know.

Wait.

“And how long have you been running this business?”

They both look at each other then back at you.

“Well I’ve been hunting for years with my dad- he used to run the family business but- then he got into an accident so Arcjec and I decided- that we’d take over for him,” Laivan rushes out. He sounds breathless. You’re a bit surprised that a guy like him would risk his life for his father. You would never do the same thing as him.

“The short answer is that we’ve only been in business for two years,” Arcjec answers for him. You watch as Laivan reaches into his pocket once more, and now that you’re in closer range, you can easily make out the shape of an inhaler. Yeah, the guy definitely needs one. Especially if he’s getting so easily winded by just talking out loud.

“You seem awfully interested in what we do. Like, a lot more than other people,” Arcjec suddenly comments, removing the arm that’s been wrapped around him. Laivan pockets his inhaler and nods.

“Do you work?” He asks, and you actually freeze up. You don’t really want these guys to know about your current financial or just general living conditions. You clear your throat.

“I work for my father,” you say, which isn’t totally a lie. You just... haven’t shown up in a couple of months. “Kind of like a personal assistant.”

“And you’re in this shithole alone at midnight because..?” Arcjec is really pushy. You don’t blame him for being suspicious of you and your intentions. You  _ were  _ thumbing your daggers earlier, and he seemed to have noticed that after Laivan came to greet you.

“Arcjec,” Laivan warns his partner. You roll your eyes. You’re really not in a position to try and avoid the question, otherwise you’ll probably just look even more suspicious than you already do. Plus, the owner of the pub looks ready to say something, most likely about how you came in here looking like you were about to pass out from both a lack of any kind of nourishment and from sleep. You scratch at your arm.

“I left home,” you answer truthfully. “That’s really all there is to it.”

“Do you have money?” Laivan asks as Arcjec downs the rest of his liquor. You shake your head.

“I left on a whim. I only thought to grab my daggers,” you respond. Laivan nudges his partner with his elbow. He lopsidedly grins. He really does have a face like a puppy-dog.

“Fine. He can room with us,” Arcjec replies, “but on one condition.”

“What condition?” You’re not quite sure how you should feel about that. Your scratching intensifies a little.

He side-glances the owner, who’s nowhere in sight, then leans forward and lowers his voice so only you and Laivan can hear what he has to say.

“I’ll explain more when we get into the room. I know who you are, Dismas,” he whispers, then sits back again. Your heart thumps loudly, but you take a deep breath in order to avoid drawing attention to yourself. You can’t help the glare that adorns your features, though.

“Sure,” you reply. Who the hell does this guy think he is?

“Then it’s been decided,” Arcjec says, then cracks a grin. Somehow he looks friendlier. “Lai, go pay for our extra companion.”

Laivan scoots off of the bench and walks over to the counter, ringing the little bell that’s been placed out for the patrons who are still here. Arcjec watches him for a moment, before looking towards you. His frown is gone.

“Don’t take this the wrong way, you definitely look like you can handle yourself on your own, but we’ve heard a few things about you,” he says. He’s keeping his voice low, so that only you can hear him. You’re surprised he can be even remotely quiet. “You’re a friend of Albion’s, aren’t you?”

You’re not sure how he came to  _ that  _ conclusion, and you’re not sure how he knows who Albion is, either. But you nod, nonetheless. It’s better to be cooperative. This guy might have dirt on you.

“How do you know her?” Repiton isn’t exactly small, and despite the fact that Albion is a psychic medium, you know she uses a stage name instead of her real name. Star Child, that’s what she likes to call herself.

“She works with us sometimes,” Arcjec answers you, plain and simple. “She predicted that we’d meet you here. She’s been worried about you, y’know.”

You sigh. “Yeah, I know I shouldn’t have just left without letting her know where I was going. But I’m sure she understood why I had to go off the radar. If you really know me, then I’m sure you’d understand too.”

Footsteps approach and you both look up. Laivan is taking a puff from his inhaler again.

“Right,” says Arcjec. “Let’s turn in for the night, then.”

You follow the two into the back of the pub, where the rooms are. Laivan unlocks the door and you and Arcjec follow him inside. The door shuts behind you and Laivan makes sure to lock up while Arcjec lights the oil lamp. There are two beds in the room, although you take notice of the metal bar underneath them. The rooms can hold four people maximum, it seems.

“Now that we’re out of earshot from the others,” says Arcjec as he kicks off his boots, “let’s talk about what you’ll be doing for us.”

“Wait, Arcjec, you can’t be serious-” Laivan starts to say, but is shushed immediately.

“Albion told us he’d be kind of fucking helpful so we should probably actually listen to her this time around.” Your eyes meet brown as Arcjec’s attention focuses back on you. “I know a lot about you, jackass. I already made that abundantly clear, and you fucking know that I did. So here’s what’s gonna happen: you’re gonna help us out on our little escapades, and in turn we won’t turn you back to your dad. He’s been looking for you, and Albion fears that the worst will happen or something if you end up going back.”

“So, what, all I have to do is help you kill a couple of vampires? That shouldn’t be so hard,” you tell him.

“That’s not all, actually,” Laivan pipes up. “There are other monsters too- we kind of have to rid the entire place- of any and all monsters we find. That’s kind of our job- and even though we’re being payed to just kill the vampires- our job is to completely remove- any and all- monsters- that- we-”

“-come across,” Arcjec finishes for Laivan, eyeing the other man as he fumbles, once again, for his inhaler. “So even if we get rid of those blood-sucking freaks, we also have to make sure that the other beasts are taken care of too.”

“Oh.” That... still shouldn’t be too horrible. You’ve hunted before, and you’re pretty good at it. Surely this won’t be too different than the trips you’ve gone on before with your father and his friends.

“We can get better acquainted on the road- tomorrow,” Laivan says with a grin. “We’re leaving after breakfast- so make sure you get some shut eye.”

“Great,” you mumble. You don't have much else to say.

You toe your shoes off, then pull out the mattress that’s under the bed that Laivan settled himself on. You lay down as Arcjec turns off the oil lamp and gets ready to sleep himself.

You turn onto your side to avoid the bright shining of the moon and eventually fall asleep to the sound of the heavy rain and distant thunder.

Tomorrow is going to be a long day.

**Author's Note:**

> trrain-wreck.tumblr.com  
> anonumii @ twitter


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